An annual grant that allows Navajo County to continue providing full services to victims of crimes has been awarded once again to the county attorney’s office.
The Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC) has awarded the county a total of $32,295 to cover the salary of a victim advocate in the upcoming fiscal year. Navajo County must match that total and put an additional $32,395 toward victim’s services.
According to the county attorney’s office, the department assists more than 600 victims of crime every year in navigating the court system, as well as coping with the short and long-term effects of the crime.
“Our advocates provide crisis intervention services, follow-up counseling, assistance in dealing with social services and criminal justice agencies, court-related services and compensation or restoration services,” Grants Coordinator Lynda Young noted.
The ACJC funds will go directly toward salary and benefits for the county’s victim services advocates. A total of $22,953 will be used for salaries, while $9,342 will be used to provide fringe benefits such as medical insurance and retirement contributions.
Navajo County must match the funds distributed through the grant, but plans to do so by accessing another grant issued by the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). The county will use the DPS Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant fund to cover the match for the grant so that the money won’t have to come out of the county’s general fund. The county attorney’s office relies on grant funds to provide victim’s services.
The portion of the ACJC grant that the county is receiving is only a small one compared to the statewide distribution of more than $1.4 million. The victim assistance grant funds are provided both to government agencies and non-profit organizations.
In Navajo County, victim advocates provide three primary services, victim assistance, notification and compensation. Assistance is provided in the form of crisis counseling or referrals to counseling, assistance in navigating the court system as the court case progresses, and help in identifying and obtaining needed services from other agencies. Notification is provided to victims regarding not only upcoming hearings and pending decisions in court cases, but also rights belonging to the victim under state law. Compensation services allow the county attorney’s office to help victims pay for expenses directly related to the crime while the court case is still pending. For example, victim’s compensation may help cover medical expenses, counseling, lost wages, funerals or clean up of a crime scene.
